Electric gas-lighter



(No Model.)

0-. W. HOLTZER.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER. N0. 354,760. Patented June 14, 1887.

Ina water Charles 71 Jfolzqr N. PETERS. PhMwLihugnphor. Wilhillgton. DJ;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. HOLTZER, on BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 364,760, dated June 14,1887.

- Application filed January 11, 1887. Serial No. 224,003, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. HOLTZER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brookline, county of Norfolk, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric gas-lighters employed in connectionwith gas produced from gasoline, naphtha, or similar volatile liq- Iuids.

The object of theinvention is to provide improvements in mechanicaldetails and construetion.

Figure 1 is a general outside view of the device. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view of the upper part of the burner, includingthe tip. Fig. 3 shows the tubular part for the passage of the gas andfor the attachment of the other parts. Fig. 4 shows an insulated supportfor one of the electrodes. Fig. 5 shows the same support with the saidelectrode attached. Fig. 6 is a view of the ratchetgearing for operatingthe valve. Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6, showing also .the valve,which is a rotary valve. Fig. 8 is a crossrseetion of the valve; andFig. 9 shows the spring for pulling back the valve into a predeterminedposition, the said spring being shown not under tension. Fig. 10 shows-afull view of the normal position of the spring 70, some of the partsofthe device being removed, the spring having four points of supportthefirst being the screw E, supporting the curved portion Z, the secondbeing the lower. portion of the valve 1), supporting the curved portionm, the third being the upper portion of the valve supporting the lowerportion of the straight part between 0 and n, as shown in Fig. 9, andthe fourth being the screw 19, supporting the hoof 0. When the springshown in Fig. 9 is bent to occupy the position in Fig. 10, its shape isnecessarily difierent from that shown in Fig. 9. Thus the curve itbecomes nearly straight and the lower part of the straight portionbetween 0 and n becomes very much curved in passing around the uppersurface of the valve; also one of the sharp turns between a and o inFig. 9 becomes nearly straightened in Fig. 10. That portion of thespring which presses. upon the upper portion of the valveserves asasecond retaining-spring. Fig. 11 is a side view of the lower portion ofFig. 3, showing also a side view of a portion of the spring. The objectof the two curves shown in Fig. 9, between a and 0', is for the purposeof producing the desired amount of pressure and friction upon the valveof the burner. Ihave tried several forms of springs,

butthat shown in Fig. 9 I prefer.

The device consists of the combination of a tubular portion having atransverse hole, a, for the reception of a conical valve, b,having twotransverse holes, 0, which are adapted to come in line with the hole 11,one at a time, the said holed passingthrough thesaid tubular portion; acylindrical projection, 0, below the hole a, an annular projection, f,upon said cylindrical projection '0, a lever, g, carrying a platinumelectrode, h, upon one end and two projections or stops, iand 9', uponthe other end, the stop resting against the projection e in its normalposition and the lever 9 being rotatable upon that portion of the valvewhich projects from the hole; a spring, k, having the curved portion Zresting upon the projection e in such a manner that the curved portionat presses against the valve b,'the curved portions Z and at being inopposite directions, substantially like the letter S, and the curvedportion at resting upon the portion of the valve just above the pointwhere the curved portion at rests,and the curved portion or hook 0 uponthe other end of the spring is being attached to ascrew, p, upon thelever g,-between the electrode h and the valve 1); a ratchet-wheel, 9,having fixed connection with the valve 7), the lever 9 being between thewheel q and the said tubuscrew 19, gearing into the ratchet-wheel q' andhaving an operatingdmndle, s,- an enlarged tubular opening, t, in theupper part ofsaid tubular portion, the enlargement forming. a shoulder,a; a tip, 11, having the escape-slit w in its upper portion and anannular flange or projection, m, at its lower portion; slots 3 made intosaid flange and through said tip at itslower portion, and a rectangularprojection, Z, secured to said tubular portion above the valve andprovided with a hole in which fits an in sulating-ring, A, and theelectrode-B, which is provided with a project-ion, O, with ascrewthread,D, with a nut, E, and with insulating lar portion; a ratchet, a, pivoteduponthe said ion washers F and G, F being between the parts G and Z, andthe washer G being between the parts E and Z. The conductor II from theelectrical generator K may be secured be tween the washer G and the nutE, as shown in Fig. 5, or it may be preferably placed between two nuts,I) and'D', as shown in Fig. 1. The spring 7.: is attached to the rod 0between the annular projcetionf and the stop z. The portion f may have acircular periphery, as shown in Fig. 1; but it should preferably have ahexagonal periphery, as shown in Fig.

The functions of the several parts of my invention are as follows: \Vhenthe operatinghandle sis pulled downward,the ratchet turns theratchet-wheel q, which turns the valve 2) through one eighth ofarevolution,and thereby allows the gas to escape. The retractile spring7.: pulls back the ratchet '2' into its normal position, but the curvedportion m of the spring prevents the valve from turning also. 3y repeating the operation, the valve is turned another eighth of arevolution, so that the gas is again cut oil. It may be noticed herethat the spring 7;, all made in one piece, serves both as a retractilespring for the electrodeg and the ratchet r, as well as a means forpreventing a backward motion of the valve 5. The projection 0 serves tolimit the motion of theratchet r and of the part 9, because the part ior j strikes against the part 0 during the motion of the party Thescrewp serves both as a pivot support for the ratchctr and for thespring 7:. The parts i and j serve not only as stops to the motion ofthe ratchet, but as a means of maintaining the spring 7.: upon theprojecting rod 0. The tubular portion in the usual form of burnerbecomes so hot as to injure insulatin g substances. For this reason theprojection Z is provided for the support of one, B, of the electrodes.The slots 7 serve as an exit for the gas, which escapes and surroundsthe bu rnertip 1; in and above the opening 1,, the said burner-tip beingmade of metal. The shoulder ll serves as a support for the flange 00.

It is almost impossible to electrically ignite gasoline vapor andsimilar vapors unless the slots 3 and the enlarged tubular opening areprovided. The reason is not clearly understood; but it is thought thatthe vapor, as it passes out of both the slot 20 and the opening 1,becomes mixed with the air, and is therefore a more easily-explodedmixture.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an electric gaslightcr, a tubularportion, in combination with an upper tubular portion, which is providedwith aremovableti p, which has a flange forming an enlarged portion atthe lower end and resting upon the bottom of the enlarged tubularportion, the said tip having also slots cut into the flange and intoitself.

2. I11 an electric gas-lighter, the combination ofa main tubularportion,a rotatable valve to said tubular portion, ratchet-gearinghaving operating connection with said valve and with a movable electrodeof said lighter, the other electrode being stationary, a fixedprojection to said tubular portion, and a spring bearing frietionallyupon the upper and lower parts of the valve and connected to the movableelectrode.

3. In an electric gas-lighter, the combination of a gas-burner havinggas-outlets, the one being a slot in the uppermost part of the burnerand the other being an annular opening surrounding said slot, andsuitable electrodes within igniting distance of said opening,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in pres ence of two witnesses, thisSOth day of December, 1886.

CH ARLES XV. IIOLTZER.

Vi tnesses:

S. K. HAMILTON, E. H. IIon'us.

